Drizzle :)

Is what it is currently doing outside here in Amsterdam. Which in a way is perfect. Tuesday is one of my days off in the week so when it rains I am more likely to stay inside and do some studying.

I am working on an essay on the Construction of the Wall by Israel in Occupied Palestine, which relates to current topics in the news which is always great.

This past week I have been especially focusing on school, but I did take a break on Saturday night and watched "The Hurt Locker" with some friends. The Oscar Winner from this year, really is worth checking out and it had us discussing the issues surrounding the War in Iraq and the everyday lives of soldiers affected by these conflicts. I guess in the end, considering what I am studying, this too related well with my course work.

With all of the readings and essays, it's a good thing I am really enjoying my program. This week we have a guest lecturer coming on Friday to speak about "Securitizing the West". Then on Saturday I am going to attend a Rotaract Amsterdam organized Gala evening. So hopefully next week I will have more pictures for you all.

Laura in Amsterdam missing the Fall leaves of Ontario

xoxo

Routines

"Routines" is the dutch word used to describe the new rules of the language that I need to learn in my dutch textbook. And I feel that after being in Amsterdam a month, that is definitely starting to be the case. The routine of University life is settling. As a student you always know your place and the comfort of studying is returning to me. Of course that also means that I have two 5000 word papers to write in the next month, but I will get to that.

Tuesday mornings have become a tradition of going for bagels with my roommate and friends in my building and today was extra special, as it is a friend of mine's birthday. It is nice getting to know all these new people. I always feel lucky that wherever I go, I am always fortunate to meet great people.

This past weekend a friend from the States came to visit. Erik studies in Maastricht and we met at a Pre-Departure Conference for the Ambassadorial Scholars in Kansas City. It was nice showing him around the city and also we visited Amersfoort and met with the other Scholars in the Netherlands. We are quite a diverse group. Saturday night we went out for Moroccan food with many of my colleagues from University. There are quite a lot of different ethnic restaurants in this city, and hopefully I will get to explore some more as well. Though there is always the typical Dutch pancakes to fall back on. Lekker!!!

One other big piece of news is that I have booked my first travel adventure for the end of October. I think I will keep you in suspense a bit to see where I will be going. Guesses left in the comments are welcome, I am interested to see if anyone will get it :)

Tot de volgende keer.

Laura

Fijne verjaardag!

Well even if I thought it wasn't possible, my weeks here in Amsterdam seem to keep getting busier and busier.

There definitely doesn't seem to be enough time in a day as I am trying to adapt to returning to school and having hundreds of pages to read in just days. I find it rather interesting in my program as it really is multi-disciplinary. Some students are from law backgrounds and some from political science backgrounds. We are really training are minds to think in a different way and to see conflicts or case studies in a different paradigm.

This past week I met with my host Rotary counsellor here in Amsterdam and he provided me with some resources and contacts to involve myself in the Rotary world. This is another learning curve as Rotary is different all over the world and seeing how all the different clubs and districts works is really interesting. This coming weekend I will have the chance to meet with other Ambassadorial Scholars, in a town called Amersfoort.

My dutch language course is also going well and my fellow students and I are learning how to introduce ourselves and others. The new phrase of the week is Fijne verjaardag! or Happy Birthday! I celebrated my 24th Birthday yesterday and I enjoyed celebrating it in a new city surrounded by new friends (even if I do miss all my family and friends from back home, thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone :)

Saturday night was the big party as around 30 people came over to my residence building with all different sorts of international food. We had Chinese dumplings, bean dip, potato fritters, curry...and I made some Tiramisu for dessert. It was a great evening with people from all over the world and it really brings into perspective the large international community in Amsterdam, though there were a couple of Dutch friends as well.

Saturday I also visited the Zaanse Schans, which is an area just outside Amsterdam with lots of Windmills. I am sure you will find some of the pictures really interesting. The dutch are quite resourceful and this is not more evident than when looking at the concept of the windmill. It was another gorgeous weekend and even though it rained a little bit on the morning of my birthday, anytime I was outside I managed to stay dry. I am still on the hunt for a nice pair of rain boots and I am starting to get the impression that the Dutch don't wear them much. Instead they have the dutch clogs :)

Well I will leave it at that for now. I am going to go finish my dutch homework, a short story about myself.

All the best :)

Laura

Water Cycling and Pancakes

Finally, the weather has taken a turn for the better. The past 5 days have been really gorgeous, and by gorgeous I mean sunny and 18 degrees. It made for a really great day Friday for 'Water Cycling' with all the students and professors in my program, the Law and Politics of International Security. They really have been rolling out the red carpet to welcome us.

Saturday was just as nice and I took a bike ride with a girl from my residence floor in Amsterdam's nicest park the Vondelpark. It was nice to sit and relax and have lunch on an outdoor patio and watch people go by.

Sunday I met with some of my colleagues from the VU 'foo' and we explored around the city. It really is interesting to get to know a new place, not as a tourist or a guest but as an inhabitant. I hope that the more I discover the more I can make Amsterdam my own, though it might take awhile before I stop getting lost, all the canals and bridges in the city centre look the same :)

Today is officially the first day of lectures and I start the most important mandatory class in my program "The Changing Nature of War". I am looking forward to discussing and learning from my 28 classmates who come from 14 different countries, ranging from South Korea, Afghanistan, Mexico, Hungary, Latvia...

Later today I will also have my first official dutch language course. We will see if I will start in 'absolute beginners' or just 'beginners'. Wish me luck....Veel Succes!!

Ciao for now. Enjoy the pictures.

Laura

Ik heet Laura. Ik woon in Amsterdam.

Time for Introductions.

I arrived safely in Amsterdam a week ago today. And everything has been a whirlwind since then. Almost literally. The shock of the weather here has been the biggest adjustment, fall has arrived with a bang and it is raining and windy and quite cold.

The VU (pronounced 'foo' in Dutch) has been very welcoming. I have met international students from so many different countries. I had the United Nations for dinner the other night, 8 of us, from Honduras, Peru, Germany, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain and myself. Most of the people I have met are Masters students like myself, and we are all studying in different fields.

I also attended a Dutch language session and start language classes next Monday night. This week my faculty has the introductory lectures and I will attend a meeting with the Supervisors and Professors. Not to mention 'Water Cycling'. I will let you know exactly what this entails, if I survive :)

Speaking of cycling, one of the first things I did after registering with the city and opening a bank account was buy a bike. Something in the Netherlands that is more of a necessity than anything else. It will just take some time getting used to the rules of the road, as everyone here takes it quite seriously.

I have spoken to my Host Rotary Counsellor and have been in touch with previous Ambassadorial Scholars, now actually settled in Amsterdam, one who is a Canadian. I hope to attend a Rotary meeting soon and introduce myself.

Now I am off with my South African flatmate to make our place a little cozier, namely a trip to IKEA.

Ciao for now.

Laura

Inspiration for New Background

Hi All.

I had inspiration to add this background to my Blog as I received a message from the Netherlands, letting me know that I should prepare for the rain waiting for me. So the first thing I did today in Toronto was buy a raincoat. I am here awaiting my departure for the Netherlands and spending some time with family.

Also today, I received a record number of e-mails all with details pertaining to my departure. The most exciting one being that my scholarship money has arrived in the Netherlands and is waiting for me. I also have course registration to take care of and a mentor group waiting to welcome me.

Everything seems to be fitting into place, though I can't say the same about my luggage. You would think I would be getting better at this packing business, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Only 3 more days until I leave! The next time I post I will be doing so from Amsterdam.

Veilige Reis!

Preparation for Departure!

Time is winding down before my Scholarship Year begins at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Excitement is building as I am organizing all the last minute details. I just hope I will manage in packing my two small suitcases with everything I will need for a year. Everyday brings more news from the university and I have never looked forward to going back to school more.

Tomorrow I will be making my first Pre-Departure Presentation at the Rotary Club of Petoskey.

As the year continues I will be keeping everybody updated on my adventures, so stay tuned.

Tot de volgende keer!

Laura